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Preview of case

AI admission coach

The client is a U.S.-based EdTech company offering a SaaS platform that helps high school students prepare for college admissions, including SAT, ACT, Common App support, and more.

Data science & AIEdTech
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Icon 36 months
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Key achievements

22%

student retention boost

38%

growth in SAT prep course completion

30%

decrease in the number of support tickets

Challenge

The client, a fast-growing EdTech platform, struggled to keep pace with surging student demand for personalized college prep amid limited manual advisory capacity. Human advisors were overwhelmed during peak seasons, causing delays and inconsistent support.

In addition, some students dropped out halfway through their studies due to academic challenges, lack of motivation, emotional stress, and mental health issues. The platform was unable to adapt dynamically to each student’s needs and goals.

Another reason students lost interest was the one-size-fits-all content that failed to account for their individual goals and knowledge gaps. The lack of personalization led to missed opportunities for student retention and upselling, putting the company’s growth at risk.

Four key operational challenges were identified:

  • Difficulty standing out in a crowded EdTech market

  • Lack of predictive insights into student readiness, leading to missed retention opportunities

  • Inefficient use of resources due to overreliance on manual advising

  • Limited ability to create new revenue streams beyond standard courses

Solution

The Aristek team identified a clear opportunity to enhance the client’s EdTech platform with an embedded AI module. The goal was to personalize the learning experience, increase student engagement, and enable real-time guidance while increasing the platform’s stickiness and perceived value.
The AI-powered module features were to include:

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    Application timeline manager

    AI collects and organizes key dates and application requirements for selected colleges, creating a personalized roadmap that helps students stay on track and avoid missed steps.

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    Personalized prep paths

    AI evaluates students’ academic profiles, application progress, and target schools to craft customized admission strategies that increase their chances of acceptance.

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    Predictive readiness scoring

    AI applies predictive models to assess student readiness for the SAT/ACT, forecasting their admission potential and timely identifying topics that require extra support.

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    Automated progress tracking

    AI handles routine tracking of test prep, coursework, and application milestones, freeing advisors to focus on high-value coaching.

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    Interactive AI coaching

    Real-time chatbot interactions offer instant feedback, answer questions, and motivate students, simulating a career or academic mentor for personalized guidance.

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    Accessibility enhancements

    AI-powered features such as speech recognition and adaptive content formats ensure prep materials are accessible to all learners.

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    Data-driven analytics

    Detailed insights for students reveal their progress and risk factors, supporting informed, proactive intervention and planning.

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    Secure data management

    Robust privacy and security measures protect student data and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

Project scope

To bring the AI admissions coach to life, the Aristek team applied its deep experience in AI development and EdTech product design.

The project was divided into the following key stages:

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  • Initial research

    We started by defining platform goals and identifying student needs. Key pain points included test stress, lack of clarity around application steps, low motivation during long prep cycles, and uncertainty about where to focus effort.

  • AI roadmap design

    We mapped out the core AI features: personalized learning paths, readiness scoring, and predictive guidance to support student progress and increase admission potential.

  • Model development

    To handle inconsistent inputs, we built preprocessing pipelines that standardized academic and behavioral data. We then trained and fine-tuned models to assess student progress and predict learning needs.

  • Smart guidance engine

    We developed a real-time chatbot and guidance engine delivering micro-coaching, tailored recommendations, and motivational nudges – all aligned with individual student goals.

  • Backend integration

    The backend leveraged Python-based microservices on AWS Lambda for scalable performance. Model training and inference ran on AWS SageMaker, with ETL flows in AWS Glue.

  • Frontend integration

    The AI module was embedded in the client’s React-based platform, with a responsive chatbot interface delivering personalized insights and content suggestions without disrupting the learning flow.

  • Pilot testing

    We tested with 500+ active users, using feedback and behavioral patterns to improve AI prompts, refine logic, and ensure the tool aligned with real student pacing and attention habits.

How the AI module delivers impact

Before the AI upgrade, users accessed standard course materials with limited personalized support unless they sought help manually.

After integrating the AI admission coach, the platform delivered a tailored experience from the start.

  • 1

    The user completes a short intake form including academic background, target schools, test dates, and learning preferences.

  • 2

    The AI generates a personalized prep timeline featuring SAT practice schedules, essay improvement prompts, skill gap analysis, and deadline reminders.

  • 3

    As the user engages with quizzes and essay submissions, the AI continuously updates a readiness score and recommended resources targeting weaker areas.

  • 4

    When assistance is needed with application essays, the AI coach provides helpful tips and motivational prompts without requiring direct human support.

  • 5

    With ongoing AI-driven guidance, users are able to complete SAT prep on time and submit applications to multiple universities. The test audience reported increased confidence and satisfaction with the platform.

Screenshots

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    On the centralized control panel, students can see their current progress in their chosen areas of study and track assignments and deadlines.

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    The AI provides personalized insights based on performance and adjusts individual action plans, helping students stay focused throughout the college preparation period.

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    Users can request an objective assessment of their knowledge at any time, initiate a targeted test, or ask for a balanced schedule.

Team

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    Project manager x1

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    UX/UI designer x1

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    AI/ML engineer x2

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    Full-Stack developer x1

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    DevOps engineer x1

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    QA engineer x1

Tools & technologies

GitHub
Python
LlamaIndex
OpenAI
AWS SageMaker
IAM
Elasticsearch
Jira

Project results

It took 6 months and a dedicated cross-functional team of 6 specialists to build and deploy the solution. The AI admissions coach boosted student retention by 22% and SAT course completion by 38%.

As a result of these measures, the percentage of students successfully enrolling in college increased by 8–12%.

Additionally, by addressing a number of technical requests, the AI reduced the number of support tickets by 30%. Overall, the AI module enabled scalable personalization, improved operational efficiency, and helped the platform stand out in a crowded market.

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The solution’s stakeholders and active user pool provided the following feedback:

  • The platform’s detailed learner progress tracking and real-time reporting helped optimize course offerings and reduce costs by enabling quick creation of microlearning modules. As a differentiating premium feature, AI streamlined content updates and improved overall platform efficiency.

    Platform owner

  • We really appreciated the reduced workload and the actionable insights. With AI-driven analytics, we could quickly identify at-risk students and tackle problem areas more efficiently. Automating scheduling and questionnaires gave us more time to focus on one-on-one support.

    Teachers

  • The small, interactive tasks and quizzes helped us stay on track and stick to our schedules. The AI reduced a lot of stress – it sent timely nudges, gave personalized feedback, and broke complex tasks into manageable steps, so we could move through the college application process with confidence.

    Learners

  • We loved getting clear, detailed reports on children’s progress. The short, targeted learning sequences really helped reduce overwhelm and built up our child’s confidence over time.

    Parents

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